Herefordshire here we come!

Recommended Posts

Change of use from grassy paddock to other use? Not exactly sure the whys and wherefores but I know the chickens would be fine, as would an orchard. Not so sure about veg as that could be construed as garden - and that is the grey area. *cough alpacas*! Gosh I have such a tickle in my throat just lately! The lady in the nearest house that has the field around ours has horses sometimes, so not entirely agricultural use. Then again agriculture can consist of vegetable growing. I think as long as it isn't an extended garden area (no ornamental trees or shrubs and pretty flowers - that kind of thing) it should be fine. There will always be busy body Victor Meldrews who don't like the new people changing things. I'd also like to introduce a wild flower meadow, bees etc. On the list are cherries and new apple trees, pears, damsons and my quince. So we need the bees to pollinate and the wild meadow part also for beneficial insects and other wildlife. Townies (well not me - never been a townie - OH is though) takin' over! Hahahaha! And of course - electric fencing! For that just in case Madame Renard comes a callin'!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Luvvie - Miller's Ark has them plus the standards. Like alpacas, donkeys have a "latrine" area! Very handy! Although I think a package of 3 alpaca wethers from Bozedown is less expensive! Take the young'uns for a trip - even if you don't have young'uns - I'm sure they'd love a trip to see naughty baby animals whatever age! They also have Kune Kunes! Fell in love with one several years ago when they were based the other side of Odiham. Such a cute little piglet all on it's own (sold awaiting collection?) and s/he was craving attention. OH had to drag me away as the little darling was trying to get out and follow me! Also lovely cattle - rather like the Irish Moiled - pretty rare!

Lewis! Is there anything your parents haven't done yet apart from bees! I've nominated OH. I'll just chat to them and eat the honey. The lady that runs the B&B in Herefordshire (well, Worcestershire really) owned up to being a little tardy last year and didn't harvest the honey. She's glad she didn't as her hive has thrived really well over the horrible winter whereas others have had to give their bees syrup concoctions (dunno what mix) - she said she didn't think it was fair to eat all their hard work and leave them without! She reckons her second hive will be up and running this year.

I think my first course should be how to tow a trailer!

I like the layout of The Cosy Hen Company. I think that will be adopted.

I've been told by our lovely Postie that we must be prepared to be called "Townies!" as we aren't local. His brother had that label until he joined in with all going on (he's a farmer! Not a townie!) but but but I'm not a townie!!!! Ruralie maybe, villagerie yes, but townie never!

Moving day will be end of June! I'm packing up the sewing machines and taking them to mum - don't want them damaged in transit! Also my plants. I'm taking over her bungalow!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

We are meeting the new homeowner of this house tomorrow. Had a bit of a frenzied clean up as she will bring her mum! I think she wants to go through how things work and measure for curtains. I hope the rain stops for them to have a walk around. We've been packing things in boxes - my quilt room is no more - all boxed up now and empty shelves and cupboards. At the moment I'm playing with a jigsaw puzzle on the cutting table to see if it has all the pieces - if it does it will be going to the charity shop! The worst is actually the garage. Haven't even looked in the loft yet!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Well we are lucky. The young lady is absolutely lovely. She's still on maternity leave and brought her mum and the little ones while husband is at work. She asked after the quilts because she wanted her mum to see! The little ones behaved so well - wore them out and the oldest one just laid down on the carpet and probably would have slept there - I did say did she want a lie down on the bed but she had a second wind outside running round the garden. They sound just like us when we moved here - we can grow this that and the other. A friend told her now she could have chickens. I said we did and still do - but they are at a field at the moment. Well, her eyes lit up! I think this place is going to be left in good hands! And chickens will come eventually. Same for me, although I'm ahead on that front!

I was looking in madame's wardrobe for space to hide things away and discovered stuff that we took down to her house and other stuff that we shoved in the boot of her OH's car boot to take home with them - has now reappeared in the (what should have been) empty wardrobe. I can see a battle of the old school art tat commencing!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Today we had removal people around to assess (basically interviewing them to see who we trust most) and thankfully the second fellow gave us the good vibes. I think what put us off the first bloke was that he said we should get a Kindle so we didn't have so many books and if you don't use something in a year then get rid of it - pfft I know some people say they like turning pages but really that's silly (hmm thanks for that - I do like books but OH has a Kindle). Then lots of intakes of breath when he saw we'd already started packing. Oh I don't like those boxes. We sort of felt like we were being chastised everywhere! Fair enough we may not use something in a year but the following year I'm sure we will. Common sense prevails as to what you will need to keep and to get rid of. And we have been getting rid of things - lots of things, either the dump or a good lot has gone to the charity shops. Children's books to keep potential grandchildren entertained, Playmobile (which is number one son's anyway) will be kept for entertaining for the same reason. We won't have a Wickes or some such 5 miles up the road so screws and nails will be kept and the same for the tools! Just bung your clothes on hangers in boxes - so much space is wasted at the bottom of hanger boxes and (insert sharp intake of breath yet again) it'll cost you. No box for tv (intake of breath) you'll have to take it off and wrap it yourself. Made you wonder if he was in the right business if everything was too much hassle - or perhaps he just wanted a two bedroomed house and was putting us off deliberately. Who knows?

Second guy, family firm, said great you've made a big dent already. Crunch came when talking vans. Big vans won't have the room to reverse from the lane - no matter there's always a way - we have lots of smaller vans - especially with newer housing estates that are pretty much on top of each other. Wardrobe boxes - no problem, he had plastic ones that are more sturdy although they'd need to be returned. No box for the TV - no worries we have plenty to wrap that up in - no need to dismantle we can do that! My big craft table - yep we can sort that out. In fact he gave us so much info that the other guy didn't - that we were much more confident with him. He also had storage facilities so if for any reason there would be a problem they could come early and he had answers to questions we didn't even think about! Certainly brought up more information than the other fella. As soon as OH closed the door he said this is the one! And I said the same thing - JINX! And we haven't got the quotes yet!

Edited May 14 by Valkyrieannoying spelling mistake which jumped out at me!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Congratulations on finding a property, the view looks fab and it all sounds wonderful! Think you should be OK with orchard, and I'm sure somewhere I read you can pay a small fee to be classed as a farmer and as long as you offer some of what you grow for sale then you are complying. Actually, using agricultural land for horses is change of use if they sleep and are fed there, so imagine how many people the planners could pick on before they get round to your land

The people buying your place sound lovely, it's nice to know you are handing custodianship to like minded folk.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Thank you! Yes, if you have horses (luxury items unless you can show them that they are working horses) the land must be equestrian, which means applying for change of use if it's farm land. We will probably apply for a smallholding status, registration when the time comes for us to branch out more - which includes the larger livestock. Chickens/veggies/orchards are permitted as long as the veg isn't turned into a pretty garden veg plot. We are going to join the Devon Association of Smallholders as soon as the contracts are exchanged as they are really helpful to newbies. There's also a farm in Somerset that does lots of smallholding courses and the lady will do a bespoke thing whereby she will come and help you to plan the land better for those with 10 acres or less - which sounds a good option. So plenty to keep us occupied in the coming months and hopefully one of the lovely Omlet ladies is hatching some ickle chickies and I might have a couple when they get bigger cheeps! So they'll be ready in plenty of time as we'll have set up by then. I have had a very excitable morning today! I've even sorted out names! We shall see what the little blue fairy brings.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

OK, our buyers' surveyor is coming tomorrow morning. Meanwhile our surveyor rang this morning with his findings. We had a full structural one done - nowadays it's called a buyers report. On the whole - "it's a lovely house" . . . but there are a couple of little things. The "but" isn't too bad really, I guess, well he didn't seem to think it was bad news. The house is sound - great! The boiler is about 20 years old and probably needs to be updated - especially to function economically. No problem. The septic tank is ancient and made of brick. Apparently it has never been emptied since before they moved there 10 years ago (hmmm, niiiiice) so he recommended changing that, again we figure that's OK. Funny thing though - the "sunken patio" roofless building with electricity that nobody knows about it's previous life - he has never seen anything like it before in all his surveying career! So the mystery remains. Where's Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys when you need them! Maybe Jules Verne's time machine is required.

Well the good news is we can have polytunnels and greenhouses aplenty in the garden and there's no reason why we'd need planning permission to update the workshop and garage. He also suggested it would be great if we had a conservatory or extra room at the side of the kitchen to enjoy the view and the garden when it's windy. WINDY?!!! Well I expected it to be - for one it'll be exposed to westerlies and the easterlies, and perhaps we can put more woodland/hedging to the western edge and it still wouldn't affect the view. We told him that's what we intended - to extend the kitchen and have a garden room. Apparently planning permission for things are likely to go in our favour as we won't be affecting anyone.

OH has said he doesn't want animals and he will not be looking after them when I'm not around. I'm thinking not this year but I'll have the final word! I fully intend to find someone who will step in for me when I'm "not around". There are pet sitting services for smallholdings - and I'll be in touch with DASH too. I can always insist on a cat or a few sheepsies and see what happens! Not having a stomping foot and a "NO" with acreage there to be utilised! I've been reading The Accidental Smallholder diary when they were in the smaller property - they had an acre, but my goodness what they did with it was amazing - it looked so much bigger than an acre!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

We need to see photos of this sunken patio doda thingamyjig once you've moved in! All in all the report is good as you always expect to do bits and piece when you move house. And just make sure that you're downwind when the septic tank is emptied!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

You can try, I didn’t think I’d need to replace septic tank and see if you can get price down a bit. That’s what we did when surveyor said roof needed redone. Said we hadn’t factored in new roof and got £5000 off agreed price.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

No worries - our accepted offer was low enough to cover those unexpecteds - and she was very happy with it, which has turned out rather fortunate for us. He said it would be fine for the two of us for a while, but if a big family moved in - well it may be another matter! Not exactly sure how they work but I'm going to find out pretty soon!

Surveyor been and gone from here too. The ball is rolling along.

We are more in chilling out mode now, most has been done and the garage is virtually finished. A few tools in the shed, propagator in the greenhouse to secure and pack away - now we do still have the box and packing for that!

Bonus is I was up early, cleaned the house, done several washes and dry stuff ready to iron before the heat kicked in! Off to the shops. Usually I get large mayo (shameful - I should make my own but the little darlings no longer lay - but the new lot means yes, homemade lots of eggy stuff) but now on small jars at any time! Feels weird - I love to have nicely stocked cupboards and I hate seeing them so bare like Old Mother Hubbard's!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

It's very strange, like 8ft x 15ft or thereabouts - similar size to our current greenhouse. There is a large step down but there must have been some sort of doorway at some time. The walls are high enough to be an outbuilding while the ground is paved. There is an electric cable running into it from the main house (properly sealed apparently) so there must have been some sort of light set-up but the roof has long gone. Bike shed? But why the drop? The surveyor wondered if it was to overwinter plants. Storage? Possibly, but again - the drop! Perhaps we'll find a sort of drainage hole, although the surveyor never mentioned that. Ooh smoke house? Meat curing? I'm going to have to pounce on the elderly locals!

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Apparently we will have grazing rights on a common! Oooh! But it looks like the animals would need tethering (very Romany) and I'm not so sure about leaving them while I'm a couple of miles away! There are no gates to the land or cattle grids that I can see either - but the idea is nice! Thinks Tom and Barbara taking the nanny goat for walks!

1

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Well here is a (bad - taken off the laptop) photo of the weird building on the right hand side - I didn't realise it was curved! It wasn't originally part of the garden, but part of a bigger field which is now part of the 4 acreage. We've notified the solicitors that the Land Registry is old - it even shows there was another outbuilding in that larger garden - which is now part of the field and oh definitely Time Team needed. On the ordnance survey it shows the new field boundaries so they need to do more research.

And so I'm now thinking I could have a raised artillery gun thingy in that bit with movement from side to side over the rounded tops of the curved wall - gerroff moi laaaaaaaand!